The University of Texas School of Dentistry, a part of The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston), educates dentists, dental hygienists, and dental specialists, including endodontists, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, orthodontists, pediatric dentists, periodontists, and prosthodontists. The School of Dentistry also offers a general practice residency (GPR) and adv
anced education in general dentistry (AEGD), as well as a master of dental hygiene. Our school also has a continuing dental education program that offers numerous courses taught by world-renowned instructors as well as guest lecturers and clinicians. Programs offered:
- Doctor of Dental Surgery degree (DDS)
- Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene degree (BSDH)
- Master of Science is Dental Hygiene degree (MSDH)
- Graduate (master of science in dentistry degree and certificate in a specialty area of dentistry)
- Postgraduate (certificate in general dentistry or a specialty area and an optional master of science in dentistry degree)
- Residency (certificate)
Founded in 1905, The University of Texas School of Dentistry at Houston was the first dental school in Texas and continues to lead dental education today, with a vision of enriching the lives and health of our community and the world through patient care and research — our foundation in the pursuit of excellence in education. UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry began as the Texas Dental College, a private institution in rented quarters above a dry goods store on Congress Avenue. For decades, the school’s leadership lobbied to join The University of Texas System, but were unsuccessful until World War II caused an acute need for more dentists. The Texas Dental College formally closed on Aug. 31, 1943, and reopened on Sept. 1, 1943, as The University of Texas School of Dentistry. Anderson Foundation helped establish the school as a founding institution in the Texas Medical Center, and in 1952, the School of Dentistry’s dean, Dr. Fred Elliott, resigned to become the first executive director of the TMC. That same year, the school broke ground on a new building at 6516 M.D. It was completed in 1955. Upon moving into the new facility, also known as “The Pink Palace” because of the pinkish-brown marble exterior, the school assumed a new name, “The University of Texas Dental Branch.”
Nearly 60 years later, the school moved into its current location and in 2011 reverted to its original name, “The University of Texas School of Dentistry.”
Through it all, UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry has consistently provided high-quality education, patient care, service, and research, pursuing a vision of “Improving Oral Health… Improving Overall Health." The School of Dentistry’s three-part mission of education, patient care, and research aims to advance human health by providing high-quality education, patient care and research in oral health for Texas, the nation, and the world.
